When in Death
by Sweetnlilly
Summary: Life on the line, Buffy Summers relives her distraught childhood and tragic love affair while slipping in different stages of consciousness while in a coma. Romance, Angst, and Tragedy.Complete AU
1. Default Chapter

"When In Death"  
  
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING OR ANYONE, 'CEPT MAYBE LEYLAH, BUT YOU AREN'T SEEING HER TO OF LATE. I ALSO DON'T OWN THE PLOT, BELONGS TO AN AUTHOUR, SHIT, FORGOT HER NAME, BUT THE STORY IS CALLED "AFTER YOU'D GONE". I'LL POST THE AUTHOR'S NAME WHEN I REMEMBER IT. CHARACTERS BELONG TO THE ALMIGHTY (NOTICE SARCASM) JOSS. DON'T SUE, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING 'CEPT MAYBE MY BELOVED COMPUTER.  
  
Summary: Life on the line, Buffy Summers, slips in and out of different levels of consciousness, reliving her life, and tragic love affair, as she is in a coma. COMPLETELY AU.  
  
Prologue  
  
"Angel? Angel?! ANGEL!?" Buffy Summers bolted up and groped the bed for Angel until reality sunk in and she realized that he wasn't there. With a sob, she fell back into the bed. *How could he leave her like this?* "How could you do this to me!?!?!" she wailed into the pillow that still smelled of him, "How could you fucking do this?" Buffy cried herself to sleep, muttering "How could you do this".  
  
Joyce Summers stared outside the window. She was worried about her daughter. Buffy had been cooped up in her house ever since the bombing. She was worried that her daughter was suicidal, thinking that if she killed herself she would be able to see Angel again. Joyce personally knew what it felt like, and she didn't want her daughter to go through it.her sweet innocent daughter. But, that was before, now everything was different. With a sigh, Joyce snubbed her cigarette and lay back in bed. Facing away from her husband, Joyce fell into a restless sleep. 


	2. Chain Reaction

Part 2: Chain Reaction

Buffy walked outside the house she and Angel used to live in, armed with a camera.  She had woken up with a clear head, and now she had decided to take pictures of the house and other Angel-like things to remember him by.

Looking up, she realized that the three story house was too tall to fit in the frame of the camera if she stood right in front of it.  She estimated that if she stood in the street, the house might fit…the street where cars sped along, where if she got hit, she could die and be with Angel again.

Shaking her head, she cleared it from any suicidal thoughts, which she seemed to be having a lot of lately.  *No…Angel wouldn't want that.  He would want you to go on with your fucking life…all alone*.

"Terminal 7" a bored voice exclaimed.

"Thank you."  Joyce looked around the train station before spotting Terminal 7-London.  She looked around nervously before smacking herself on the head.  Her husband shouldn't be suspicious; she had told him she was visiting Buffy.  Maybe she should check in with Buffy before going to see Rupert.  Stepping into the train, Joyce shuddered with excitement at the thought of seeing Rupert.

Buffy threw the camera down in annoyance, watching in sick satisfaction as it broke.  *God, what the hell is wrong with me?*  

She needed to get out.  Buffy ran through a mental list of the names of her friends, before settling on Giles.  Without another thought, she picked up Angel's leather jacket and her keys, and sped out the door. 

"Joyce"

"Hello Rupert, how are you?"

"Fine, come on in," He stepped aside, cleaning his glasses, "How is Buffy?"  
Joyce turned around and stared at him, "Fine, well as fine as she can be considering her husband just died."  Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, "Sorry, touchy subject."

"It's okay.  I understand."

"So…"

"How are you Joyce?"

"I'm great, although I do miss you," at that, she opened her jacket, "But, the question is if you miss me?" she asked as she trailed a finger over her bare breast.

"I…uh…I..." Laughing, Joyce pulled Rupert on the couch.  Neither noticed the face looking in from the window in the door.

Buffy's breath hitched in her throat at the sight in front of her.  He hand flew to her mouth as she lost her footing and fell off the stairs.  Picking herself up, Buffy sped away as fast as she could, not looking back.

Cutting in the middle of the streets, she stumbled around, dazed, tears leaking from her eyes.  Not realizing where she was, she crumbled down onto the ground.  All of a sudden, she looked up, only to see the blinding lights of a car rushing towards her.  A blinding pain spread through her body, before she fell numb.  Her last conscious thought was of her lost love, Angel.

A/N:  I'm sorry, but when I load it, it always turns out in one paragraph.  You know, it doesn't show a new paragraph when a new person speaks.  I always hate that, but I don't know what to do, so sorry.  If you know how to change it, then tell me.  Thank you.


	3. Please Don't Take Her Away

Part 3: Don't Take Her Away  
  
*Ring, ring* "Coming!" Stumbling into the bedroom, Hand Summers picked up the phone. "Hello?" He answered in a gruff voice. "Mr. Summers?" a youthful voice asked. "Yea, who is this?"  
  
Hospital doors crashed opened as a haggard looking Hand stumbled in. Looking around the bright white-washed room, he ran towards a lonely figure sitting in the waiting room. "Joyce" Hank slid towards her, kneeling in front of her, "Honey." Joyce lifter her head, revealing a tear streaked face. "Oh honey!" Taking her hands into hi, Hank leaned down to kiss them, "It's going to be okay, Buffy's a fighter, she always was." Sobbing, Joyce fell into Hank's warm arms. Hank kissed her head, feeling tears coming out of his own eyes too. *Oh God, please help our daughter, please heal her* He fell towards the floor, with Joyce in his arms, *Please God, don't take her away*  
  
A/N: Sorry, but whenever I upload it, it always turns out as one paragraph. You know, no new paragraph when a new person speaks. I hate that, but I don't know how to fix it. So if you know, can you just tell me, please? Thank you. 


	4. AN Explanations Explanations and Explana...

This is jus explaining the story ... for blackbeltchic  
  
Okay ... Buffy and Angel were married, but he died. Diz stry starts after his death  
  
Joyce is Buffy's mother, and she's married to Hank (sorry bout da typos) but, she's having an affair with Giles ... who is a family friend and Buffy's godfather.  
  
Thiz stry takez place in London, which im sure iz in England, but I'm geographically challenged ... so hehe  
  
Da story iz gonna get confusin, basically Buffy is in a coma and she relives her life while she iz hangin on between life and death ...  
  
And also, her mother iz also reliving her life through memoriez ...  
  
I kno diz iz a hell of a confusin story, but I got da plot from a book I read called, "After You'd Gone" iz by ... by Maggie O'Farrel, and it sounded like a good buffy/angel story ... however itz hella confusin. Sorry, I think u'll get it along the way  
  
Jus basically, Buffy and her mom r reliving dere lives ... mistakes, happy times, sad times, blah blah blah ...  
  
Sorry for bein confusin ... hope u'll enjoy the res of da story =)  
  
O and by da way, if u feel up ta it ... u mus read the real book. Iz such a great story, very emotional and sad. 


	5. Buffy's Tenth Birthday

-- June 1991: Buffy's tenth birthday –  
  
Brown shoes, brown stockings, brown jumper, and brown barretts completed her look. She looked at herself in the mirror. Compared to her sister, she was the ugly duckling. While her sister had a mane of shiny brown hair, she was stuck with dull, sandy colored hair, not quite blond, nor brown. Her sister had the most perfect beautiful brown eyes, while she had eyes that were sometimes hazel, sometimes green, and sometimes gray. Her sister didn't have the need for glasses, while she was stuck was black- rimmed glasses, that was nearly as big as her face.  
  
Buffy sighed, and looked away from the mirror. Today was her birthday, and she was determined to be a happy child, if not for her own sake, then for her parents.  
  
"Buffy! Get down here now. You're party's going to start soon!" a loud booming voice yelled from downstairs.  
  
Buffy walked out of the room slowly. She didn't understand why her parents were having a party, it wasn't like she had any friends to invite.  
  
She had learned at an early age that being alone suited her more than being crowded by people.  
  
"Buffy!"  
  
"Coming," Buffy replied harshly.  
  
Entering the living room, she looked around. There was a banner that said, "Happy Birthday Buffy" and a small cake on the table. Faith, her sister was listening to music, her mother was inspecting her nails. Only her father realized that she was in the room. He stood up and hugged her tightly, "Happy birthday, baby."  
  
Buffy smiled weakly. Sure, her father was paying some attention to her. But, realizing she was alive once a month was not enough.  
  
"So, you're nine –"  
  
"Ten," Buffy said softly.  
  
Her mother looked up, "Buffy, it's not polite to interrupt your father. Tell him you're sorry."  
  
Buffy didn't say anything.  
  
"Buffy ..."  
  
Again, Buffy said nothing. "Buffy! You'll tell your dad sorry now!"  
  
"Joyce ..."  
  
"Shut up Hank. This isn't about you." Joyce retorted, standing up. She turned her attention back to Buffy, "Buffy ... got up to your room!"  
  
Buffy looked at her mother, then turned around and started the trek back upstairs to her room. Passing her sister, she noticed that Faith was still listening to music. Tears were threatening to fall, but enough practice had taught her how to hold it back.  
  
So much for being happy today, she thought as she heard her parents yelling at each other. 


End file.
